Fish shop rules

This is a discussion on Fish shop rules within the Beginner Freshwater Aquarium forums, part of the Freshwater Fish and Aquariums category; -->
Hey I have 2 tanks both around 40 gallons. One of them has gold fish and the other is tropical and has a huge ...

Hey I have 2 tanks both around 40 gallons. One of them has gold fish and the other is tropical and has a huge mixture of fish. Im abit anoyed about fish store rules the one were you have to be over 18 to buy Because Im 13. I understand were there coming from making that rule But you would have thought After I shopped there for over 5 months with about 1 visit a week They would let me. AND They wouldnt even let me buy the ph mixture . Just wanted to share that with you all comments welcome

It's actually a good rule, meant to protect the animals AND the store (but of course!)...

...most children who get a pet inevitably loose interest in it and the parent ends up looking after an animal they don't want...

...OR, sadly, the animal is totally neglected and dies...

And should the parent return the animal to the store, it just means the animal has to go through the unnecessary stress of being relocated several times in a short period of time...

Without parental approval, a child shouldn't be allowed to purchase an animal...

Now...having said all that...it sucks if you're one of the few responsible kids out there who actually know what they're doing...in that case see if the store will accept a 'note' from your parents giving you permission to shop without them having to be there...

It's actually a good rule, meant to protect the animals AND the store (but of course!)...

...most children who get a pet inevitably loose interest in it and the parent ends up looking after an animal they don't want...

...OR, sadly, the animal is totally neglected and dies...

And should the parent return the animal to the store, it just means the animal has to go through the unnecessary stress of being relocated several times in a short period of time...

Without parental approval, a child shouldn't be allowed to purchase an animal...

Now...having said all that...it sucks if you're one of the few responsible kids out there who actually know what they're doing...in that case see if the store will accept a 'note' from your parents giving you permission to shop without them having to be there...

yes im 14 and it would suck to have it like that, age doesnt matter, a good rule would be if they had a test that everyone had to take before buying the fish to see if they know enough. A 10 year old can know more about fish than a 30 year old. It matters if they studied or not

So, should we put an minority age limit on riding a bicycle? If all lfs's had a rule like that I probably wouldn't be in this hobby, let alone be in it for as long as I have. If an lfs had done that to me, who knows what mischief I would have gotten into. I think that it is a great thing that young people want to get into the hobby. They could be spending their money on something that isn't so cool. Who knows, that young person at the lfs may become the next Jaques Cousteau, Paul Loiselle, or Dr. Burgess. That rule SUCKS.

It is the responsibility of the lfs to ensure the quality of life of a fish, I must agree.(here's a good question, How many fish have you got in your tank(s) that you purchased a year ago?) But, the lfs would be smart if they would get to know their clientelle. If they would take the time to give how-to clinics and reward those that attend with a free 10g set up, they would reap future rewards and pick up a customer for life. Who knows, maybe that 10-12 year old boy or girl that was at the clinic might get a 29g setup for Christmas.

I commend anyone of any age who does their homework and learns the proper way to care for a living thing before bringing it home.

Go to Petsmart or some other "supermarket" type petstore and just stand there in the fish department and listen to the ignorant stuff the adults say (employees too!). I don't know about you, but sometimes I have to bite my tounge to keep from telling them that they have no business being there. I realize that it's not their fault that they just don't know, but it kinda makes me want to slap them upside the head with a book about basic aquarium care.... and don't even get me started on those employees...

the signs on petsmart too, all so very wrong, like how red belly pacus can fit in 30 gallon aquarium and how bala sharks can fit in 10. I think if they say these pacus need 300 gallons each they will make more money since they can then try to sell a 300 gallon aquarium?? Maybe there not smart or im just not a business man...

I really thing these stores should have a form you need to fill out before you buy fish. Its the best way to keep bad owners with there fish. Also for young people, its the adults that are ignorant, if they have a child with a goldfish bowl that dies every 48 hours, i think they should do something about it.....